2019 ALA Youth Media Awards
Early Monday morning at the Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, the American Library Association announced the 2019 Youth Media Awards to a cheering crowd.
Following is the complete list of this year’s winning and honor titles, linked to their Booklist reviews when available.
JOHN NEWBERY MEDAL
Merci Suárez Changes Gears, by Meg Medina (Candlewick)
Newbery Honor Books
The Night Diary, by Veera Hiranandani (Dial)
The Book of Boy, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock (Greenwillow)
RANDOLPH CALDECOTT MEDAL
Hello Lighthouse, by Sophie Blackall. Illus. by the author (Little, Brown)
Caldecott Honor Books
Alma and How She Got Her Name, by Juana Martinez-Neal. Illus. by the author (Candlewick)
A Big Mooncake for Little Star, by Grace Lin. Illus. by the author (Little, Brown)
The Rough Patch, by Brian Lies. Illus. by the author (Greenwillow)
Thank You, Omu! By Oge Mora. Illus. by the author (Little, Brown)
CORETTA SCOTT KING BOOK AWARDS
King Author Award
A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919, by Claire Hartfield (Clarion)
King Author Honor Books
Finding Langston, by Lesa Cline-Ransome (Holiday)
The Parker Inheritance, by Varian Johnson. (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine)
The Season of Styx Malone, by Kekla Magoon (Random/Wendy Lamb)
King Illustrator Award
The Stuff of Stars, by Marion Dane Bauer, illustrated by Ekua Holmes (Candlewick)
King Illustrator Honor Books
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly. Illus. by Laura Freeman (Harper)
Let the Children March, by Monica Clark-Robinson. Illus. by Frank Morrison (HMH)
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968, by Alice Faye Duncan. Illus. by R. Gregory Christie (Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek)
Coretta Scott King / John Steptoe New Talent Award
Monday’s Not Coming, by Tiffany D. Jackson (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen)
Thank You, Omu! By Oge Mora. Illus. by the author (Little, Brown)
Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement
Dr. Pauletta Brown Bracy
MICHAEL L. PRINTZ AWARD
The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo (HarperTeen)
Printz Honor Books
Damsel, by Elana K. Arnold (HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray)
A Heart in a Body in the World, by Deb Caletti (Simon & Schuster/Simon Pulse)
I, Claudia, by Mary McCoy (Carolrhoda)
SCHNEIDER FAMILY BOOK AWARD
Award for Young Children, Ages 0–10
Rescue & Jessica A Life-Changing Friendship, by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, Illus. by Scott Magoon (Candlewick)
Award for Middle Grades, Ages 11–13
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle, by Leslie Connor (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen)
Award for Teens, Ages 13–18
Anger is a Gift, by Mark Oshiro (Tor Teen)
ALEX AWARDS
The Black God’s Drums, by P. Djèlí Clark (Tor)
The Book of Essie, by Meghan MacLean Weir (Knopf)
Circe, by Madeline Miller (Little, Brown)
Educated: A Memoir, by Tara Westover, (Random)
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After, by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil (Crown)
Green, by Sam Graham-Felsen (Random)
Home After Dark, by David Small, illustrated by the author (Liveright)
How Long ’Til Black Future Month? by N. K. Jemisin (Orbit)
Lawn Boy, by Jonathan Evison (Algonquin)
Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik (Del Rey)
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE LEGACY AWARD
Walter Dean Myers
MARGARET A. EDWARDS AWARD
M. T. Anderson
2020 MAY HILL ARBUTHNOT HONOR LECTURE AWARD
Neil Gaiman
MILDRED L. BATCHELDER AWARD
The Fox on the Swing, by Evelina Daciūtė, illustrated by Aušra Kiudulaitė, translated by The Translation Bureau (Thames & Hudson)
Batchelder Honor Books
Run for Your Life, by Silvana Gandolfi and translated by Lynne Sharon Schwartz (Yonder)
My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder, by Nie Jun, translated by Edward Gauvin (Graphic Universe)
Edison: The Mystery of the Missing Mouse Treasure, by Torben Kuhlmann, translated by David Henry Wilson (NorthSouth)
Jerome By Heart, by Thomas Scotto, illustrated by Olivier Tallec, translated by Claudia Zoe Bedrick and Karin Snelson (Enchanted Lion)
ODYSSEY AWARD
Sadie, by Courtney Summers, narrated by Rebecca Soler, Fred Berman, Dan Bittner, Gabra Zackman, and more. (Macmillan Audio)
Odyssey Honor Audiobooks
Du Iz Tak, by Carson Ellis, narrated by Eli D’Amico, Sebastian D’Amico, Burton Fott, Galen Fott, Laura Fott, Sarah Hart, Bella Higginbotham, Evelyn Hipp, and Brian Hull (Weston Woods Studio)
Esquivel! Space-Age Sound Artist, written and narrated by Brian Amador (Live Oak Media)
The Parker Inheritance, by Varian Johnson, narrated by Cherise Boothproduced (Scholastic Audiobooks)
The Poet X, written and narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo (HarperAudio)
PURA BELPRÉ AWARDS
Belpré Illustrator Award
Dreamers, illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales (Holiday/Neal Porter)
Belpré Illustrator Honor Books
Islandborn, by Junot Díaz, illustrated by Leo Espinosa, (Dial)
When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana, by Michael Mahin, illustrated by Jose Ramirez (Atheneum)
Belpré Author Award
The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo (HarperTeen)
Belpré Author Honor Books
They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid’s Poems, by David Bowles (Cinco Puntos)
ROBERT F. SIBERT INFORMATIONAL BOOK AWARD
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian’s Art Changed Science, by Joyce Sidman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Sibert Honor Books
Camp Panda: Helping Cubs Return to the Wild, by Catherine Thimmesh (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and The War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America, by Gail Jarrow (Boyds Mills/Calkins Creek)
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees, written and illustrated by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga, by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frané Lessac (Charlesbridge)
When Angels Sing: The Story of Rock Legend Carlos Santana, by Michael Mahin, illustrated by Jose Ramirez (Atheneum)
STONEWALL BOOK AWARD
Julián Is a Mermaid, by Jessica Love (Candlewick)
Hurricane Child, by Kheryn Callender (Scholastic)
Stonewall Honor Books
Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World, by Ashley Herring Blake (Little, Brown)
Picture Us in the Light, by Kelly Loy Gilbert (Hyperion)
THEODOR SEUSS GEISEL AWARD
Fox the Tiger, written and illustrated by Corey R. Tabor (HarperCollins/Balzer+Bray)
Geisel Honor Books
The Adventures of Otto: See Pip Flap, written and illustrated by David Milgrim (Simon Spotlight)
Fox + Chick: The Party and Other Stories, written and illustrated by Sergio Ruzzier (Chronicle)
King & Kayla and the Case of the Lost Tooth, written by Dori Hillestad Butler, illustrated by Nancy Meyers (Peachtree)
Tiger vs. Nightmare, written and illustrated by Emily Tetri (First Second)
WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD
Darius the Great Is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram (Dial)
Morris Award Finalists
Blood Water Paint, by Joy McCullough (Dutton)
Check, Please!: #Hockey, written and illustrated by Ngozi Ukazu (First Second)
Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi (Holt)
What the Night Sings, written and illustrated by Vesper Stamper (Knopf)
YALSA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS
The Unwanted: Stories of the Syrian Refugees, written and illustrated by Don Brown (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
YALSA Award Finalists
The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor, by Sonia Sotomayor (Delacorte)
Boots on the Ground: America’s War in Vietnam, by Elizabeth Partridge (Viking)
The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler, written and illustrated by John Hendrix (Abrams/Amulet)
Hey, Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction, written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka (Graphix)
ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN AWARD FOR LITERATURE
Asian/Pacific American Award – Picture Book
Drawn Together, by Minh Lê, illustrated by Dan Santat (Disney/Hyperion)
Asian/Pacific American Award – Children’s Literature
Front Desk, by Kelly Yang (Scholastic/Arthur A. Levine)
Asian/Pacific American Award – Young Adult Literature
Darius the Great Is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram (Dial)
Asian/Pacific American Honor – Picture Book
Grandmother’s Visit, by Betty Quan, illustrated by Carmen Mok (Groundwood)
Asian/Pacific American Honor – Children’s Literature
The House that Lou Built, by Mae Respicio (Wendy Lamb)
Asian/Pacific American Honor – Young Adult Literature
The Astonishing Color of After, by Emily X. R. Pan (Little, Brown)
THE SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD
Sydney Taylor Book Award – Younger Readers
All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah, by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky (Schwartz & Wade)
Sydney Taylor Book Award – Older Readers
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster, by Jonathan Auxier (Abrams/Amulet)
Sydney Taylor Book Award – Teen Readers
What the Night Sings, written and illustrated by Vesper Stamper (Knopf)
Sydney Taylor Book Honor – Younger Readers
A Moon for Moe and Mo, by Jane Breskin Zalben, Illustrated by Mehrdokht Amini (Chalesbridge)
Through the Window: Views of Marc Chagall’s Life, by Barb Rosenstock, Illustrated by Mary GrandPré (Knopf)
Sydney Taylor Book Honor – Older Readers
All Three Stooges, by Erica Perl (Knopf)
The Length of a String, by Elissa Brent Weissman (Dial)
Sydney Taylor Book Honor – Teen Readers
You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone, by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Simon Pulse)